Invalid&#39;s crutch.



E. WALTERS.

INVALID'S CRUTCH.

APPLICATION mm mm 1a. ms.

Patented Oct. 30. 1917.

' following is a specification.

* UNITED sT TEs PATENT OFFICE.

V I EDWARD WALTERS, or 'nARLINerrUnsT, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR or, ONE-FIFTH T0 HAROLD SI-IURLAND RANDALL AND THREE-TENTHS T0 JOHN THOMAS HARRISON, BOTH or SYDNEY,

AUSTRALIA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD WALTERS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 339 Bourke street, Darlinghurst, near Sydney, New South Wales Australia have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Invalids Crutches, of which the This invention relates to improvements in invalids"crutches, and has been devised to provide awalking crutch which is of a light and durable construction and will afford a maximum of comfort to the user.

The shoulder-piece of the crutch is set at an angle to the stafl and means are provided whereby thesaid shoulder-piece will have a limited amount of resilient movement to absorb a shock and jar when pressure is applied to the same, to relieve chafing of the armpit of the user, and generally to insure a great degree of comfort to the user.

Further features of the invention consist of a hand-grip adjustably fitted to the staff to suit arm measurements of the user: the adjustability horizontallyof the shoulderpiece to vary the leverage exerted on the cushion member and means whereby the pad of resilient material with which the lower end of the staff is shod can be re-adjusted in position as said pad wears.

. With these and other objects in view the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set out, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of eX- planatory drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective.

Fig. 2 is a view in sectional plan taken on the plane A of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the lower part of the crutch illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a part side elevation showing horizontal adjustability of the shoulderpiece.

In these views like characters of reference indicate similar or corresponding parts, and the letter a designates a staff which can be made of one piece of wood or such suitable material or if desired in a plurality of pieces telescopically fitted. The staff, however, is preferably made of two pieces of wood arranged parallel and secured as shown in Fig. l to insure lightness of construction consistent with strength and in order that when Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 18, 1916. I Serial No. 109,956.

INVALIDS CRUTCH.

Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

the crutch is in use the staff will have a certain amount of spring.

An angularly adjustable carrier-plate Z) is fitted between the upper ends of the two parts of the stall a and is adapted to pivot on a pin or bolt 0 passing through the staff. When a solid piece of wood is used for a staff a saw-drift is made in the upper end thereof to accommodate said carrier-plate. A second pin or bolt d is arranged to pass through the staff and through one or other of a series of holes 6 formed in the lower a of rubber or other approved resilient material that rests upon a seat formed on the carrier-plate b. The resilient pad is secured to said seat is by means of clip lugs Z or by any other approved means.

A hand-grip m is adjustably fitted to the stafi a by means of a bolt 11. that passes through the center of said hand-grip and between the two parts of the staff (see Fig. 2). Said bolt n is fitted with curved clamping washers 0 that partially embrace the two parts of the stafi and prevent them spreading at this point. The position of the hand-grip m is readily adjusted on the staff a by unscrewing a nut 39 on the bolt 'n and moving the hand-grip to any desired position, and by tightening the said nut the hand-grip is again securely fastened in its adjusted position.

The lower end of the stall a is shod with a pad 9 of rubber or like resilient material and said pad is retained in a position capable of adjustment by a split clamping ferrule r secured to the staff by means of a a plate It (see Fig. 4:) which plate is pivotally connected to an extension f formed on the carrier-plate b. Said plate k and extension are furnished with stop lugs f to limit the upward movement of the shoulder-piece, but which latter can be readily adjusted horizontally and secured on said plate It by set-screws k or the like.

Vith the different forms of the invention hereinbefore described and as illustrated the manner of connecting the shoulder-piece permits it to retain to some considerable degree its horizontal position when the user is walking and thereby minimizes the awkward raising and lowering movement of the body incident to the use of the ordinary construction of crutch.

The weight of the user is thrown on to the shoulder-piece when a step forward is about half completed and the resilient support provides for the free end of the said shoulder-piece being depressed under the increased weight and also to rise to its normal position when the forward step is nearing completion and the weight is partially removed.

The depression of the shoulder-piece in the manner described obviates the chafing action under the armpits of the user that is experienced with a crutch having a shoulder-piece that always remains at right allgles to the staff.

Various modifications both in construc tion and design may be made in the improved crutch within the scope of the invention.

What I do claim is 1. A walking crutch comprising a staff, an adjustable carrier plate fitted to the upper end of said staff, a shoulder piece pivoted at one end to the carrier plate, and a resilient member fitted to the carrier plate and supporting the shoulder piece.

2. A walking crutch comprising a staff, a carrier plate pivotally mounted on the upper end of the said staff, a series of holes in the carrier plate, a removable pin passing through the staff and through one or other of the holes in the carrier plate, a shoulder piece pivotally mounted at one end to the carrier plate, and a resilient member fitted to the carrier plate and supporting the shoulder piece.

3. A walking crutch comprising a staff, a carrier plate pivotally mounted on the upper end of the said staff, a series of holes in the lower part of the carrier plate, a removable pin passing through the staff and through one or other of the holes in the carrier plate, an upstanding portion on the carrier plate, a plate pivoted to the said upstanding portion, a shoulder piece fitted at one end to. said plate, and a seat on said. carrier plate, acoon'imodating a resilient pad which supports the shoulder piece.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD W'ALTERS.

WVitnesses:

A. J. CALLINAN, M. E. KENNEDY,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Baton. walhlngton, D. C." 

